The Acaelanites

[Esterlen 4462]

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The Acaelanites

Lye'naeran ay evarn’sae

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

The Acaelanites are a mali’ame ethnoreligious community that follow the modern incarnation of Acaelanism, a monotheistic rite first practiced amongst the elves of ancient Malinor. Acaelanites worship the Creator, who they refer to by the Ancient Elven name of Acaelan, and adhere to the sacred instruction of the Aengul Availer. The group’s traditions hold that their faith was originally founded by Malin, who they venerate both as an ancestor and religious leader. 

 

The term Acaelanite itself originates as an exonym, with its members typically using the phrase Lye'naeran (Common: Devout Folk) amongst themselves. Due to the cumbersome nature of this native descriptor and the difficulty of translating it exactly, most Acaelanites have eagerly embraced their attributed label, particularly when interacting with outsiders.

 

Historically, the Acaelanites have kept their beliefs largely private, teaching an esoteric interpretation of sacred texts and rituals best described as a form of mysticism. They mostly do not accept converts or proselytize among other elves, passing on their instruction from birth and adhering to an unbroken hereditary succession. Accordingly, the Acaelanites are best described as an ethnoreligious group rather than a religion or subrace, with Acaelanite self-identity governed by a combination of religion, culture and ancestry. 

 

 

HISTORY AND CULTURE

 

There is some debate as to at what time the Acaelanites solidified their ethnoreligious identity in its modern form, considering that this has developed over centuries of political and religious upheaval within the elven race. In the primordial times of Malin, his early kingdom and the war against the Deceiver, all mali adhered to the monotheistic worship of the Creator, acknowledging the Aenguls only as His messengers. At this time, there was no distinction between mali’ame, mali’aheral or mali’ker, much less any conception of a unique Acaelanite grouping. 

 

The schisms of Larihei and Velulaei (along with their respective followers) established the foundations of both the mali’ame identity and a proto-Acaelanite one. The original mali’ame were those descendants of Malin who did not adopt the Maehr’sae Hiylun’ehya or succumb to Velulaei’s curse, remaining behind in his forest realm and continuing to live by the First Elf’s instruction, even after his departure from the world. The mali’ame further splintered when Irrin Sirame led a great proportion of their number into the uncharted wilderness, to live nomadic and tribal lifestyles in exile from old Malinor. This ethnic group would much later become known as the Irrinites, themselves transformed by centuries away from settled civilization, becoming swarthier and stockier. 

 

The mali’ame who did not follow Irrin into exile were the Alderfolk, named for the alder trees of old Malinor around which they built their settlements, coexisting for a time with dispersed mali’aheral enclaves erected on the foundations of Malin’s kingdom. Many druids of Malin’s reign also remained, continuing to serve as teachers in the Alderfolk communities. This pluralistic society existed in a tenuous state somewhere between war and peace, consisting of a multitude of functionally independent city-states and bereft of any real central governance. All Alderfolk of this time could be accurately described as proto-Acaelanites, as they still practiced the fundamental monotheistic traditions of Malin - albeit in an incomplete form, which would over time develop into modern Acaelanism. 

 

Later in this era, many of the Alderfolk would adopt certain polytheistic customs involving the veneration of animal spirits known as the mani. Those who rejected these animistic beliefs as idolatry, a violation of the sacrosanct unity of God as taught by Malin, began to refer themself as ‘Lye'naeran’, approximately translating to ‘We, the Devout Ones’, or more conveniently as ‘Devout Folk’. This drew a clear distinction between those Alderfolk mali’ame who strictly adhered to a monotheistic belief system and those who embraced the new practice of mani worship, constituting the first emergence of a true Acaelanite identity.

 

In many instances, this divergence occurred along familial lines, with clans and tribes constituting the usual manner by which Alderfolk communities were organized. However, these delineations were not universally applicable, as there are multiple examples of Alderfolk clans internally divided by these newfound religious differences. Sectarian conflict dominated the Alderfolk communities of this era until the Lye'naeran lost their majority status, leading to centuries of intermittent persecution, forced conversions and the destruction of monotheistic religious writings at the hands of mani worshippers. The period over which interconfessional violence ebbed and flowed ingrained a tradition of dissimulation within the ancient Lye'naeran, whereby they partially concealed many of their beliefs and adhered to several customs of the majority in order to avoid persecution. It should be noted that while ‘Lye'naeran’ originated in this era as a catch-all term for all wood elven monotheists, over time it evolved into a distinct cultural label, interchangeable with the Acaelanite ethnicity specifically. 

 

(A Lye’naeran township in the antiquity of Malin’s kingdom.)

 

However, the teachings of the Lye'naeran would be preserved, passed down through the  mali’ame generations and acquiring many of their modern characteristics through syncretism with druidic philosophy and other, more esoteric mysteries. These developments formed the vague foundation of an ethnoreligious community, culminating in the ascendancy of the Lye'naeran with the Holy Princedom of Malinor and the reunification of the elves into one realm. For reasons not entirely understood by scholars, the era of Malinor entailed an almost total elimination of all polytheistic practices amongst the mali’ame, including mani worship and the proto-Aspectism of the Irrinites. Most social classes in the Holy Princedom were dominated by the Lye'naeran, who adhered to an adapted form of the monotheistic rite prevalent in the days of Malin. Among the group’s number was High Prince Native, widely considered amongst the elves to be their greatest ruler since their common progenitor. It was at this time where much Acaelanite theology was codified, clarified by the revelation of Creation as imparted by the Aengul Availer. 

 

The fall of Malinor and the consequent degradation of the mali’ame led to the Lye'naeran’s diminution once again, increasingly entrenching their position as an ethnoreligious minority whose traditions were passed down predominantly through ancestry. The worship of mani, the Aspects, and newer, foreign Aenguls made a resurgence amongst the mali’ame, to the expense of the monotheistic philosophies of the Devout Folk, further narrowing their ranks. Over the centuries of division among the elves, the group became progressively insular and secretive, predominantly practicing endogamous marriage and consolidating into their current form. This represents the ethnogenesis of contemporary Acaelanites. 

 

The 17th century reunification of the mali’ame under Kairn Ithelanen brought a reconciliation between the mani worshiping Alderfolk and their Lye'naeran kin, largely on account of their ethnic similarities when compared to the Irrinites, who by this time constituted a majority of the wood elven population. However, while polytheistic Alderfolk practices were eventually incorporated into the mainline Irrinite Aspectism, the clannish Lye'naeran resisted any departure from their monotheistic rites. These distinctions were muted in the perceptions of outsiders, including other mali’ame such as the Irrinites, to whom the Lye'naeran appeared outwardly very similar to other Alderfolk in their appearance and customs. This was compounded by the Lye'naeran’s entrenched tradition of precautionary religious obfuscation, a tendency to avoid public worship and the inherently mystical nature of their teachings. Nevertheless, subtle differences between the communities were always externally discernible to keen observers. It is worth noting that the word ‘Acaelanite’ was coined over this comparatively recent period, as an exonym used by valah scholars, diplomats and traders. Acaelanites will typically refer to their community amongst themselves as the Lye'naeran, denoting an unbroken hereditary link to the monotheistic elven tribes of antiquity, but will readily use the term Acaelanite in speech with outsiders.  

 

(An Acaelanite seafarer in a foreign port.) 

 

Today, the Acaelanites are not a proselytizing people when compared to the other mali’ame confessions. In history, they have only very briefly been so, at the time of the Holy Princedom. Many core Acaelanite teachings emphasize unbroken cultural heritage, and are therefore inapplicable to new converts. This stands in stark contrast to Aspectism following the revivalist movement of Artimec Caerme’onn, which eventually converted the majority of mali’ame to the polytheistic worship of Cerridwen and Cernunnos. Nearly all Aspectists today are the descendants of the Lye'naeran or their predecessors, if their lineage is traced back far enough to the era of Malinor and before it, Malin. The modern Acaelanites retain some of that heritage in their identity and traditions, albeit in a form that has evolved over multiple millennia. 

 

While initially Acaelanite families were known as clans, aligned with the ancient Alderfolk practice, in modern times they self-describe as seeds much like any other mali’ame. However, these kinships are not ‘seeds’ in the strict definition of the term, as the proto-Acaelanites never followed Irrin Sirame in adopting a nomadic lifestyle in the wilderness. Similarly, no tradition of ritual tattoos (Ancient Elven: ilmyumier) ever organically originated amongst the Acaelanites. 

 

Factors including multiple generations of sporadic religious persecution and a set of cultural values broadly aligned with literacy and entrepreneurship have led to the Acaelanites establishing themselves within an economic niche unique to the mali. While a plurality of their population have largely been concentrated amongst the innumerable realms of other mali’ame, enterprising Acaelanites have settled across the known world wherever a living can be made. These diaspora communities usually maintained their insular cultural practices, and the trusted family and kinship networks they established cultivated an ideal environment for the facilitation of commerce across national, ethnic and religious boundaries. The Acaelanite seeds able to exploit these transcontinental networks set up ocean trade routes linked by far-flung ports, achieving economic advantage through investment in the shipping and mercantile industries. 

 

Accordingly, in modern times, the Acaelanites are typically engaged in more enlightened trades than their fellow mali’ame, reputed as a community of sailors, bankers, industrialists, traders and engineers. 

 

 

APPEARANCE

 

The Acaelanites are ethnically identical to the Alderfolk, owing to their shared origins in the forests of Malinor and parallel cultural development. They share the Alderfolk physical characteristics of being paler and taller than the average Irrinite mali’ame, though swarthier than a mali’aheral. Otherwise, members of the community usually possess quintessential wood elven characteristics such as darker features and hair, with lighter browns and reds infrequently observed. These similarities have frequently led to the Acaelanites being considered a subgroup of the Alderfolk, an understanding occasionally reinforced by Acaelanites themselves for political reasons. The main difference between the Acaelanites and the Alderfolk is a matter of religion - the two ethnic groups diverged when the Alderfolk adopted the worship of the mani, with the proto-Acaelanites of antiquity being those among them who kept to rigidly monotheistic practices.

 

 

RELIGION

 

The term Acaelanite refers to the modern ethnoreligious community descended directly from the monotheistic mali’ame of ancient Malinor. They share an inextricably linked ethnic and religious background, with the largest proportion of spiritual religious observance passed down through heritage and culture rather than proselytization. This theology has developed over time, selectively assimilating certain druidic practices and other belief systems, though always retaining its core precept of faith in a single deity. The syncretism innate to Acaelanism - compounded by the past secrecy of their teachings - has engendered an esoteric understanding of God and the universe, emphasizing the allegorical meanings of Creation and history thereafter. Consequently, the Acaelanites can be accurately characterized as a mystical sect with a highly idiosyncratic pattern of monotheistic praxis. 

 

Acaelan 

 

The foundational precept of Acaelanite belief is the monotheistic faith in a single deity, known alternately as the Creator, God, or Acaelan in Ancient Elven. Despite His multiple names, Acaelanite conceptions of God emphasize His strict and uncompromising unity, centering their tenets on the revelations of Creation as communicated to the descendant peoples by the Aengul, Availer.

 

The narrative of Creation accepted by the Acaelanites teaches that God, with unlimited power and authority, commanded all things to come into being. With only His intent and want, He created the world in a moment. The Acaelanites believe that before Creation, there was nothing else but God, who existed in pre-eternity outside of any conception of time. In their panentheistic understanding following Creation, God is both immanent, meaning that He is manifested everywhere in the temporal world, and transcendent, existing in the otherworldly heavens. God’s simultaneous immanence and transcendence serves to illustrate that He is above all attributes, considered to be the ‘whole of existence’ both within and beyond the universe. 

 

(The Revelation of Creation.) 

 

The main Acaelanite doctrine of Creation states that there exist a dualistic ‘created order’ of which there are two realms, el’Taynuel and Acaelan, torn asunder by God’s gift of life to mortal beings. el’Taynuel is the temporal world, sometimes referred to as Creation in the Common tongue. This translation is somewhat of a misnomer, as Acaelanite traditions hold that God created all the universe, including that which is beyond el’Taynuel. el’Taynuel refers specifically to the physical portion of Creation in which God established living beings, and according to the Acaelanites to which He entrusted Malin and his descendants as caretakers. This is the realm in which God is immanent, and in common parlance can be described as ‘the natural world’, the harmony of which was Malin’s imperative.

 

Acaelan is simultaneously the otherworldly heavens, the skies and God Himself. It is the cosmic realm where God is manifestly present and the portion of Creation which He did not endow to mortal beings. The Acaelanites teach that Acaelan is literally God, and so is identified with Him by the same name in the Ancient Elven language. Accordingly, this word is used interchangeably to refer to both God as the Supreme Being and to a specific plane of existence, depending on context. This does not necessarily mean that el’Taynuel (where God is immanent) is not also God, but rather connotes specifically that Acaelan is the domain where He did not initially form living beings at Creation. This delineation is the primary distinction between el’Taynuel and Acaelan. It is through the divine realm of Acaelan, which extends beyond any conception of space and time, where God is transcendent rather than immanent.

 

The word Acaelan’s interchangeable use stems from the account of Creation’s use of the phrase ‘Creator of the Seven Skies’, which is interpreted by Acaelanites to mean that God is the Seven Skies (i.e. Acaelan). In the narrative’s chronology, the ‘[Seven] Skies’ existed before the act of Creation, and as before Creation there was nothing but God, He is the Skies. In other words, God is the whole of existence, but while He bequeathed el’Taynuel to the custodianship of living beings – at Creation ‘carving’ the natural world from His manifest being for their inhabitance while they were ‘tested’, per the Aengul’s account – no such bequest applied to Acaelan.

 

ahe’Malin and the evarn’sae

 

The second fundamental of the Acaelanite religion is their veneration of Malin, referred to occasionally as ahe’Malin to denote his holiness. In keeping with the strictly monotheistic tradition of Acaelanism, the Acaelanites do not believe that Malin is divine, but rather that he plays an integral role in God’s plan by bridging the realms of el’Taynuel and Acaelan. Similarly, ahe’Malin is known by many epithets to the Acaelanites, who revere him concurrently as the First Descendant, the Father of the Elves, Immortal King and Prophet. 

 

As the eldest of the Four Brothers, the Acaelanites hold Malin to be the First Descendant, the Firstborn, and therefore, the foremost. Their teachings state that Malin’s seniority flows through to his descendants as Father of the Elves, along with all his inheritances and responsibilities, by virtue of a form of notional primogeniture. Consequently, Acaelanite instruction mandates the doctrine that ahe’Malin was the founder of their sect, which can be traced back in an unbroken hereditary succession to him. Additionally, by virtue of his role as the elven antecedent, the Acaelanites revere ahe’Malin as their ruler, establishing the temporal Malin’or (Common: Land of the Elves) in el’Taynuel, governed by right of his seniority as patriarch. They believe that following his reign on el’Taynuel, ahe’Malin came to reside within Acaelan, where he still ‘lives’ as a linkage between the two realms. This is the origin of the term ‘Immortal King’, and the Acaelanites reject any use of an explicitly kingly rank amongst the elves, eschewing this as tantamount to an attempt to supplant ahe’Malin. Finally, Malin’s role as Prophet to the Acaelanites derives from his original charge of the evarn’sae by God, his communication of this order to his descendants and, consequently, his position as the founder of Acaelanism. Therefore, despite their unquestionably mali’ame ethnicity, the Acaelanites largely self-identify with Malin and Malinor rather than any subsequent leader or nation.  

 

(The evarn’sae and the bequest of el’Taynuel.)

 

The evarn’sae is a theological concept in Acaelanism roughly translating to ‘stewardship’ or ‘guardianship’. It refers to God’s bequest of el’Taynuel to ahe’Malin and his descendants for safekeeping and maintenance, which the Acaelanites interpret as their sacred responsibility. The evarn’sae was initially demonstrated when Malin and his progeny became the first to explore Creation, developing the earliest language and naming the features of the natural world such as the ‘trees [...], grass [...], mountains and valleys’ as per their charge as God’s stewards. Nonetheless, the duty endowed by the evarn’sae is generally understood to comprise two facets - firstly, it requires the preservation of the natural world’s harmony through acts of virtue, service and valor. Secondly, it mandates keeping to the faith of God alone, rejecting all idolatry or worship of other deities. The Acaelanites teach that Malin’s foremost desire for bountiful descendants was emblematic of his wish to ensure the survival of the evarn’sae, and that the covenant’s continuance in spite of the Deceiver’s curse of sterility represents an existential struggle of faith. While the evarn’sae was originally applicable to all of Malin’s lineage, the Acaelanites hold that they are the last who have kept to it.  

 

Despite their view of the unique position of ahe’Malin and the evarn’sae, Acaelanite precepts do not wholly dismiss the other descendants. Krug, Horen and Urguan and their mortal lineage are attributed value as living beings, like all others endowed by God with the gift of life in el’Taynuel. However, Malin’s younger brethren are not deemed to possess the same responsibility as the Firstborn through the evarn’sae, and therefore are not expected to maintain the same gravity of purpose. Notably, while Acaelanite theology explicitly states that the other descendants were not charged with keeping the evarn’sae, their writings also include reference to the category of lliran evarn’sae’leh, a special title applicable exclusively to the Cloud Temple of Aegis. Approximately translating to ‘friends of the evarn’sae’, lliran evarn’sae’leh connotes the ancient Cloud Temple’s relationship with the Acaelanites as fellow defenders of the Aengul’s revelations of Creation, even though they were not charged to do so through any formal bequest of el’Taynuel. However, the Acaelanites do not consider this label applicable to the modern Cloud Temple, which they view to have functionally embraced polytheism. 

 

Ascent of ahe’Malin

 

In the Acaelanite understanding, ahe’Malin’s status blurs the line between that of a temporal and theocratic ruler, and so is largely interpreted as that of a priest-king ruling from his position between el’Taynuel and Acaelan. The Acaelanites teach that Malin still lives - their position is that he was originally bequeathed stewardship of el’Taynuel through the evarn’sae, establishing Malin’or as its physical expression in that temporal realm and ruling through God’s instruction. Following his time in el’Taynuel, he ascended to Acaelan, where he still resides as Immortal King. It has never been stated at what time this event occurred, and so it remains a mystery of faith even to the Acaelanites themselves. 

 

Malin’s bridging of el’Taynuel and Acaelan is reflected as a parallel to his dualistic role as leader. While he still rules, his residence in Acaelan means that the responsibility of keeping the evarn’sae has passed on to his descendants in el’Taynuel. Most Acaelanites believe that ahe’Malin will someday descend from Acaelan, and for this reason his temporal throne in el’Taynuel must be preserved in the interim, though there is little agreement on exactly when this will happen or under what circumstances. What is fundamental is that ahe’Malin is physically present in Acaelan, but that his reign continues in perpetuity - therefore, the evarn’sae can be construed to place ahe’Malin as Steward of God, and the elves as the Steward’s deputies by their descent from him.

 

The Aenguls

 

In Acaelanism, the Aenguls are considered to be God’s messengers and instruments, created before and in anticipation of His partition of el’Taynuel from His manifest being, but also granted free will by Him. Availer is held to be the greatest of the Aenguls and the most powerful among them, along with the most faithful to his original task, instructing the Four Brothers in the revelations of Creation and imparting God’s law unto ahe’Malin and his descendants. The Acaelanites hold that Availer’s position as first of the Aenguls was originally entrusted to them as a mystery of their faith at the time of the Holy Princedom of Malinor, kept secreted in the Mother Tree of Laurelin and since revealed by that city’s destruction. 

 

The Aenguls are never worshiped as deities by the Acaelanites, who consider this to be a barbarous practice against their core monotheistic principles. Likewise, as ethereal beings, they are never considered prophets, even those regarded positively such as Availer, whose explicit purpose was to communicate the message of God - this is because the Acaelanites believe that prophets must by definition be mortals of el’Taynuel. Aenguls, meanwhile, are generally incorporeal creatures within Acaelan, but may manifest themselves in el’Taynuel for specific purposes, for example, when banished there by God. 

 

(Availer, First of the Aenguls and the Revelator of Creation.)

 

This represents the fundamental question in the Acaelanite view of the Aenguls - their free will or ‘instrumentality’ as God’s agents. For example, there are Aenguls who ‘defect’ from God and seek worship for themselves, a form of idolatry that rejects His oneness. However, these false gods always manifest themselves in el’Taynuel either literally or through sorcery, suggesting that they were banished from Acaelan. Moreover, the revelations of Creation make ample reference to el’Taynuel as a ‘testing ground’ for mortal beings, along with God’s plan to test the life He had created - accordingly, Acaelanite interpretations hold that the banished Aenguls are in fact still instruments of God, exiled to test mortal faith in Him. This is significant in the uniquely elven context of Aspectism, where the Acaelanites believe that Cerridwen and Cernunnos were Aenguls condemned by God to walk el’Taynuel, and that the elves who worship them have simply failed His test to keep to the evarn’sae. 

 

Acaelanite theology does not draw a specific distinction between Aenguls and Daemons, placing them in essentially the same category and equally forbidding the worship of either. Though they are technically distinguished in the revelation of Creation, both are generally referred to as Aenguls, with the connotation that both beings can alternately keep to, or defect from, their original task as God’s otherworldly messengers. 

 

The Entwined Imperatives 

 

The Acaelanites maintain a dualistic understanding of the evarn’sae as a promise to serve as stewards of el’Taynuel, by way of two Entwined Imperatives - preserving the harmony of the natural world and keeping strictly to monotheistic faith in God. Though they are typically referred to in that order, the Entwined Imperatives are equal in importance to the Acaelanites and so are only rarely attributed the label of ‘first’ or ‘second’ for the sake of convenience. The basic principle of this doctrine is that the two components of the evarn’sae are so closely interrelated that, in practice, they are the same - meaning one imperative cannot be kept without the other. However, it should be noted that Acaelanite theology attributes a hidden meaning to the practical nuances of stewarding the ‘natural world’. This perspective relates to the term’s etymology - particularly the Ancient Elven suffix of -sae, only imprecisely translatable as referring to the act of ‘spreading’ or ‘developing’ their stewardship of el’Taynuel.

 

The evarn’sae’s imperative to ‘preserve’ the ‘harmony’ of nature should not be misconstrued as mandating a primitive or naturalistic lifestyle for the Acaelanites. On the contrary, this mandate requires that Acaelanites develop and build in el’Taynuel, embracing entrepreneurship, enterprise and progress rather than isolationism and backwardness. Accordingly, this imperative’s meaning of ‘preserving harmony’ should be interpreted as a directive towards cultivation and fair stewardship, rather than an acquiescence to barbarity. The act of development (by improving the material conditions present on El’taynuel) is regarded by the Acaelanites as an expression of the evarn’sae - to this effect, a commonly employed parable is that of a laurir (Common: lord) charged with improving the lot of his land and people, ruling justly and fostering productivity, prosperity and security. 

 

This reading is drawn directly from the revelation of Creation’s depiction of Malin. When Malin was first charged with the evarn’sae, he executed this responsibility with fervor, leading the elves into the unknown as the first mortals to explore el’Taynuel. Later, when the Deceiver’s malaise took hold, Malin became reclusive, apathetic to all that occurred outside his forest realm. Consequently, the act of adhering to the evarn’sae’s imperative is frequently framed as a holy ‘struggle’ against the blight of complacency amongst the elves, with the objective of emulating Malin’s original, unencumbered vitality. In other words, the Acaelanites perceive regress to a tribal, uncivilized lifestyle not as a form of naturalist asceticism, but rather view it in highly unfavorable terms akin to a surrender in the innate conflict with complacency. Concomitantly, they believe that the natural world in el’Taynuel can be preserved without these regressions, which are unnecessary and a capitulation to base instinct. The worship of nature itself is considered a form of unhelpful idolatry, represented through the metaphor of an indulgent mother contrasted with a guardian who trains, teaches and improves his charge - as such, the evarn’sae mandates that Acaelanites cultivate and discipline rather than gratify. This theology is reflected strongly in Acaelanite culture, which celebrates industry, achievement, service and valor as active expressions of the evarn’sae, allegorized by ahe’Malin’s ventures from the forests. 

 

Over the centuries, the Acaelanite explanation of the Entwined Imperatives has become an allegory for the decline of successive elven civilizations, viewing the two mandates of the evarn’sae as inextricably linked or ‘entwined’. Where elves lose their connection to God, their material conditions decline in parallel, inevitably regressing into base tribalism, because the two facets of the evarn’sae are so interconnected that one cannot be kept without the other. Consequently, the modern Acaelanites view the Holy Princedom of Malinor as an empire of legend, initially populated by forward-thinking, entrepreneurial elves in ahe’Malin’s image - when the greater proportion of Malinorians abjured the evarn’sae by adopting the polytheistic Aspectism or ethnic religions, they surrendered themselves to indolence and so failed their other charges under the covenant, therefore reducing their realms to barbarism and squalor. Accordingly, these practices have kept elves in a lesser state than befits the stewards of Creation, and the histories of their emergence serves as a cautionary tale to the Acaelanites. Untamed nature devoid of civilization represents chaos, whereas living an orderly life represents a victory against chaos - in this way, ahe’Malin’s struggle against the Deceiver continues in perpetuity within all elves. The word ‘harmony’ as used in the Entwined Imperatives is therefore best understood as synonymous with ‘order’, where keeping the evarn’sae constitutes a struggle against chaos on two interrelated fronts. The Acaelanites believe that these are one of the mechanisms by which God ‘tests’ the elves, per the revelation of Creation. 

 

san’taliyna and the laier’fiyemalan

 

Roughly translated into Common as ‘the living word’, san’taliyna is a core metaphysical concept in Acaelanism relating to the manifestation of the elven soul, or tayna, on el’Taynuel. In keeping with the duality between el’Taynuel and the heavens of Acaelan, the Acaelanites teach that all ‘life’ is composed of two parts. Firstly, there is a physical form - a ‘hollow shell’ in the language of Creation - manifested corporeally in el’Taynuel. This body is inhabited by a lifeforce or ‘soul’, amongst elves known as tayna, which is an essence derived from Acaelan and manifested on el’Taynuel through a temporal host. The revelation of Creation describes this lifeforce as the ‘breath of existence’ (Ancient Elven: iheiuhii uelln’leh) which God ‘blew’ into the first mortal being, thenceforth passed on through the generations. 

 

While the Acaelanites believe that all living things - plant, animal or otherwise - possess the two components, they also teach that tayna is an energy drawn directly from Acaelan, albeit ‘housed’ in a physical form in el’Taynuel. The tayna can be explained as the mind, thought or essence of life, without which a mortal being is no more than a husk. It permeates every aspect of el’Taynuel, in a similar manner to God’s immanence there. The tayna is the great song of life chiming the world over, from forests and cities teeming with energy to the most desolate of places, where it faintly reverberates from even the tiniest, most invisible organisms. While the body is wholly of el’Taynuel, the tayna is an extension of Acaelan saturating el’Taynuel. 

 

In the Acaelanite understanding, it is the evarn’sae that makes an elf’s tayna unique when compared to a regular soul. Core to this is the belief that an elf’s tayna is ‘trapped’ in el’Taynuel, resident in a physical form, until certain conditions are met. The elves, being appointed God’s stewards on el’Taynuel through the act of Creation, are bound to that realm by the obligations of the evarn’sae - while tayna of all corporeal forms, animal and plant, is an energy from Acaelan, an elf’s tayna has the distinction of being linked inextricably to el’Taynuel by the evarn’sae. 

 

(The living energy of the tayna.)

 

The culmination of this metaphysical view is the laier’fiyemalan (Common: Seven Reincarnations), another theological element relating to the relationship between el’Taynuel and Acaelan. The Acaelanites instruct that the elven ‘soul’ is rendered transmigratory by the evarn’sae, meaning that upon corporeal death, the tayna is transferred to another physical form through metempsychosis. Reincarnations occur instantly upon one’s death, as the duality between the tayna and the body means that it is impossible for an elf’s tayna to exist without physical form. The doctrine of the laier’fiyemalan teaches that an elf’s tayna can be reincarnated into any living thing - plant or animal - though only seven times, one for each of the Seven Skies. 

 

The Acaelanites believe that during every reincarnation (Ancient Elven: fiyemal), the tayna is vetted and cleansed through adherence to the evarn’sae, expressed practically through acts of industry, achievement, virtue and valor in el’Taynuel as well as faith in the one God. The doctrine of san’taliyna explains this from the perspective of ‘accumulating’ positive or negative tayna, according to the mandates and prohibitions of the evarn’sae. Those elves who amass enough ‘positive’ lifeforce are esteemed for having achieved mastery over their tayna, the culmination of which is a form of nirvana. For believers who keep the evarn’sae, the tayna grows increasingly closer to God over the multiple reincarnations, reaching an apotheosis after the Seventh Death. However, a disbeliever’s tayna grows more wicked with each reincarnation, slowly approaching oblivion as its vessels become progressively baser and more primitive. 

 

In the instance of an Acaelanite believer, the apotheosis following the Seventh Death constitutes an elf’s tayna becoming one with Acaelan, though not in the sense of an afterlife. Instead, the tayna abruptly ceases, losing all personhood and transforming from a component of life to a literal, unliving star (Ancient Elven: celia) embedded in the Cosmic Being of heavenly Acaelan. This represents a permanent exit from the trappings of the natural el’Taynuel and the conclusion of an elf’s charge to keep the evarn’sae. In this manner, the Acaelanites generally agree with the human interpretation of the revelation of Creation, whereby human souls are given the exclusive right to explore the Seven Skies. Where these human souls are understood to retain consciousness and thus a form of ‘life’ after physical death, allowing them to ‘explore’ Acaelan - the elven tayna ends with total finality, unable to continue outside of el’Taynuel. With the completion of the evarn’sae, the elven tayna has no role to play in Acaelan, and so it leaves behind a star as its barren impression. This last act of unification between an elf’s tayna and the cosmic mind represents the ultimate happiness, a nirvana resulting from the elimination of all attributes of being. Embedded in Acaelan as stars, the transmuted, lifeless souls of elven ancestors over the eons look down over el’Taynuel, united for time eternal. 

 

(The tayna’s metempsychosis.) 

 

The laier’fiyemalan reflect the fundamental cycle of elven tayna under the Acaelanite interpretation of the san’taliyna - from God imparting his original breath of life to the elves at Creation, to the endowment of the evarn’sae’s covenant and the cycle of physical death and rebirth, culminating in the Seventh Death, whereby the tayna is returned to Acaelan and subsumed within Him forever as a star. However, it is worth noting that the core metaphysical concept of the san’taliyna - the duality of body and soul and the otherworldly essence of life’s permeation into the natural world - is not unique to Acaelanite philosophies, existing in related forms in other elven traditions. Indeed, there is significant evidence to suggest that a basic form of the san’taliyna is a common ancestor between proto-Acaelanism and proto-Aspectism. However, modern Acaelanite practice is distinguished by their belief in the relationship between the san’taliyna with both the evarn’sae and the cycle of the laier’fiyemalan.  

 

Acaelanite theologians generally agree that among elves, the only exception to the laier’fiyemalan is ahe’Malin. The Acaelanites do not believe that Malin ever perished in a bodily sense, but rather ascended to become physically present in Acaelan, and so can not be reincarnated. Malin’s presence in Acaelan is framed as fundamentally distinct to the human soul’s ‘exploration’ of the Seven Skies - whereas ahe’Malin serves as a bridge between el’Taynuel and Acaelan, immortal, ruling, yet absent, a human soul is present in Acaelan as an afterlife on account of its physical form having died. 

 

Symbols, Clergy and Organization 

 

Given the celestial motifs surrounding Acaelan, the skies, heavens and cosmos all carry significant symbolism to the Acaelanites. In addition to being literally God, Acaelan represents the transcendent realm and otherworldly elements with their origins outside of el’Taynuel. The Acaelanites never personify God in art, instead depicting Him as alternately a blue sky or countless starry, astral bodies, per his label of the Cosmic Being. As part of this representation, Acaelanite places of worship are always required to be below the open sky, often expressed in buildings through a portal or space on the roof. Cognatic with most human religions, the number seven (Ancient Elven: laier) has an important meaning in Acaelanite theology, being Acaelan’s number in the revelation of Creation and similarly the number of the laier’fiyemalan. 

 

Likewise, the stars (Ancient Elven: celian) themselves, regarded as the unliving shells of elven souls after their Seventh Death, convey a hallowed meaning to the Acaelanites. Each star represents an elf who has kept to the evarn’sae and achieved nirvana, becoming one with the being of Acaelan, and so these celestial representations are commonly included with those of God. Notably, the Acaelanites consider taliyna’yulnan (Common: soulstones) to be fragments of proto-stars, and in an elf’s case, a token of their tayna, the evarn’sae and the objective of apotheosis. The significance of a taliyna’yuln should be understood as akin to a grain of sand becoming a pearl when layered with nacre - an elf’s soulstone represents that which will become a star when their lifeforce is eliminated from the system of san’taliyna, having accumulated sufficient positive tayna. It does not ‘hold’ their soul akin to a phylactery - only a physical form can do this - but rather symbolizes what they will become should they keep the evarn’sae. 

 

The crescent moon is another important symbol of Acaelan, reinforced by the icon’s historical use as a sigil of the Holy Princedom of Malinor, believed to originate from the traditions of ancient Acaelanites. These crescent moons are occasionally combined with stars in Acaelanite motifs, creating a unified symbol known as the Moon-and-Star (Ancient Elven: velulai-celia’ehya), used in certain religious jewelry and places of worship. This should not be conflated with the mali’ker use of the crescent moon to represent Velulaei, the Moon Goddess - the Acaelanites employ the crescent moon from the perspective of a planetary body part of the heavenly Acaelan, and as a symbol of Malin’s temporal realm on el’Taynuel through Malinor, never personifying it as a deity or independent being. 

 

Finally, sil Malin’leh (Common: The Sword [Falchion] of Malin) is the last emblem important to the Acaelanites, representing ahe’Malin’s throne on el’Taynuel. The revelation of Creation holds that sil Malin’leh, a curved falchion, was granted to Malin by the Aengul Gavrael at God’s behest, to aid him in the war against the Deceiver. It became a symbol of his rule as Immortal King, but did not join him in his ascent to Acaelan, instead remaining in el’Taynuel as an icon of the Holy Princedom of Malinor and wielded by that state’s leaders. The weapon’s celestial provenance is frequently emphasized in Acaelanite theology, being considered a bequest from Acaelan and an instrument of ahe’Malin’s duty of the evarn’sae, which he employed to smite the Deceiver’s agents in the primordial times of Creation. Acaelanite swords are typically manufactured in the same fashion as sil Malin’leh, serving as the talismans of their tradition.

 

The sacred colors of Acaelanism are blue and green. In keeping with the dualistic nature of Acaelanite theology, blues of manifold shades represent Acaelan, the heavens, the cosmos and the transcendent realm. This can range from the cerulean of the daytime sky to the dark blue of the starry night, peppered with celestial bodies. Likewise, green symbolizes el’Taynuel and the physical, natural world. 

 

(A senior Acaelanite cleric, known as a matir’sair.)

 

The Acaelanites do not have a dedicated priesthood in the traditional sense, maintaining that the druids of Malinor originally fulfilled this role before they abjured the evarn’sae by commencing worship of the Aspects. The Druidic Order’s historical renunciation of monotheistic principles has led to a deeply ingrained aversion to the notion of an organized priesthood amongst the modern Acaelanites, who consider these institutions to be easily corruptible. Interestingly, the general practices of druidism are not technically incompatible with Acaelanite theology, with druidic teachings surrounding the world’s innate life energies demonstrating ontological parallels with the Acaelanite san’taliyna. However, this is forbidden to the adherents of the evarn’sae so far as it involves actually personifying, deifying or worshiping the Aspects. 

 

However, the lack of an organized priesthood does not mean that the Acaelanites have no religious leaders. These clerics are known in Ancient Elven as the tir’sairan (sing: tir’sair), elders and teachers educated in the law, theology and history of the evarn’sae. A tir’sair does not inherently have more authority to lead services or perform sacred rituals than any other adult Acaelanite, but instead instructs communities as a scholar trained in Acaelan’s esoteric mysteries. As such, the tir’sairan are bestowed with the responsibility of understanding and explaining Acaelanite religious practice to their lay coreligionists. An Acaelanite community’s tir’sair may also serve in a quasi-judicial role as the resolver of internal disputes, in accordance with the evarn’sae’s precepts. Pertinently, the Ancient Elven word ‘tir’sair’ originally derives from the combination of the phrase ‘tir’sae’ (Common: Development of Law) to the suffix ‘-ir’, denoting a person’s role or function. This is generally translated into Common as ‘sage’, or less frequently (but more accurately) as ‘jurist’. 

 

While tir’sairan generally wear green robes, representing their role as interpreters of the mysteries of the evarn’sae on el’Taynuel, a senior tir’sair is referred to as a matir’sair and is entitled to clad himself in the celestial blue of Acaelan. Normally, matir’sairan have trained in Acaelanite traditions for over a century. Novice tir’sairan are apprenticed to their superiors, who are expected to serve as lifelong sources of religious reference through a custom of binding jurisprudence. These treatises typically take the form of a tir’sair's practical rulings on certain theological questions, through the mechanisms of dialectic reasoning. Their interpretations are held to ultimately trace back to ahe’Malin by way of an unbroken succession, and so the collected writings of the sages underpin a great proportion of Acaelanite philosophy.

 

Though it is not formally codified in any religious text, it is the custom of the tir’sairan to refrain from shaving, growing beards in emulation of the Aengul Availer and High Prince Native. The Acaelanites consider Native to be the last Acaelanite ruler of the united elves on el’Taynuel and affirm that he was an accomplished tir’sair, evidenced by his close relationship with the Aengul Availer. 

 

il’halern

 

The il’halern, roughly translating to ‘promising’ or ‘pledging’, is a customary profession of faith amongst the Acaelanites, spoken as a ritualistic oath before services of worship or as a preamble to the theological writings of the tir’sairan. It can alternately be used as an identifying statement for other Acaelanites, summarizing the foundation (but not the totality) of their religious practice. The il’halern is typically rendered in Ancient Elven, and tradition holds that this original form was professed verbatim by the ancient disciples of Malin. As such, it is considered to be a ‘core truth’ that predates any rulings drawn from subsequent jurisprudence. A translation into Common has been included for the sake of convenience. The declaration reads:

 

iyul’maele asiol oem Acaelan ito kae’leh, el’Tuva Uelln’ehya el’Bilokir Tuva’leh, illern’leh el’Taynuel maele’ehya ay evarn’sae ahe’Malin’onn Lye’ehya. 

 

In Common, this is translated as:

 

I bear witness that there is only one God, the Whole of Existence and the Creator of All, and I bear witness to His bequest of el’Taynuel for the stewardship of Malin and the Elves.

 

 

 

Edited February 24 by Esterlen

[Rigorous 1548]

At last...

[bickando 3395]

A vort Raelen loves this culturepost.

[Nectorist 7422]

Wonderful.

[MaltaMoss 1771]

thanks mali :D

[esterhase 164]

A Tarhadian Cavalier-Marshal rubs his long-unspurred heels with a calloused palm. His memories of the tea-serving traditions of the Acaelanites knot his stomach. He takes another sup of his pipe, hoping the acrid smoke will serve as some unguent to his moral unease.

 

"Blots ae grease awn all ae creation..."

Edited December 10, 2023 by esterhase